Thursday, July 2, 2015

This Fourth of July ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’

The Fourth of July is one of America’s
favorite holidays. And why not? Families and friends gather to celebrate our
country with food, parades, parties, picnics and fireworks.

And yet there is a very dark side to
this great holiday. For many, the celebration includes alcohol, but the holiday
quickly goes from festive to fatal when people choose to drive after drinking.
From 2009-2013, nearly 40 percent of ALL traffic fatalities over the Fourth of
July period occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. In 2013, Forbes magazine named the Independence
Day holiday “the most dangerous holiday of the year.” Over the Fourth of July holiday period in
2013 alone (6 p.m. July 3rd to 5:59 a.m. July 8th), there
were 199 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes on our nation’s
roads.

To crack down on drunk driving this
Fourth of July, law enforcement will be out in full force, aggressively
targeting those who put lives in danger. Iowais
ramping up their enforcement to make our roads safer this Fourth of July. For everyone’s sake, don’t drink and drive or
you will be arrested. The ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign means zero
tolerance for drunk driving—no excuses.”

Data from the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration shows that 10,076 people were killed in drunk-driving
crashes in the United States in 2013—representing almost a third of all crash
fatalities. By comparison, during the July Fourth period that year, 39 percent
of all crash fatalities involved alcohol-impaired drivers.

In every state, it
is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher, yet people
continue to break the law and drive drunk. And the rate of high-BAC impaired
driving is astounding. In fatal crashes during the July Fourth period in 2013,
more than one-fifth (21%) of involved drivers or motorcycle operators had BACs
of .15 or higher—almost twice the legal limit.

NHTSA data also reveals that 35 percent
of young drivers (18 to 34 years old) were driving drunk (BAC of .08 or higher)
in fatal crashes over the July Fourth period in 2013. Motorcycle operators are
also over represented as the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in
fatal crashes. In 2013, more than one-quarter (27%) of motorcycle operators in
fatal crashes had BACs of .08 or higher.
Drunk drivers are more common at night, too. Over the July 4th
holiday in 2013, more than two fifths (42%) of the drivers in nighttime fatal
crashes (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were alcohol-impaired, as compared to 13 percent
of drivers in fatal crashes during the day.

This Fourth of July holiday,
you can show your patriotism by helping to make Van Buren County roads safer
for everyone. Remember to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. It’s as
simple as that. Law enforcement is not
messing around this Independence Day: if you’re caught driving drunk, you will
be arrested. And keep in mind that aside from putting your life and the lives
of others at risk, driving impaired can also lead to serious consequences. A
DUI arrest can mean time in jail, loss of your license, and steep financial
expenses; the average DUI costs about $10,000.

Simple tips to prevent drunk driving:

·Plan a safe way
home before the fun begins.

·Before drinking,
designate a sober driver.

·If you’re
impaired call a sober friend or family member.

·If you happen to
see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact the Van Buren County
Sheriff’s Office.

·If you know
someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take your friend’s keys
and help your friend make other arrangements to get to where they are going
safely.